Anti-Vedanta voices in House

The Telegraph, 14th March, 2008

Controversy over the Vedanta Group’s alumina refinery project in Kalahandi triggered chaos in the Assembly today with the Opposition accusing the company and the state government of violating the Supreme Court order. The government, however, denied all allegations.
“It seems that the state government is hand-in-glove with the Vedanta Alumina Limited,” said an agitated Opposition member. Later, the Opposition trooped out of the House in protest.
Earlier, moving an adjournment motion on the issue, Opposition members alleged that the government had allowed Vedanta to run the 1MT refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi in clear violation of a Supreme Court order.Referring to the apex court’s order, Congress’s Narasingh Mishra said the court had denied permission to Vedanta, an associate of Vedanta Resources, to run any refinery there. The apex court had dismissed a petition filed by Vedanta Alumina to grant clearance to forest “diversion” before setting up an alumina refinery, said Mishra, a lawyer and former law minister. He quoted a relevant extract from the judgement. “It seems that Anil Agrawal practically runs the government,” said the Congress whip, Satya Bhusan Sahu, while senior member and former minister Nalinikanta Mohanty alleged that the BJD rally in December was funded by Vedanta. Stoutly refuting all allegation, state’s steel and mines minister Pradip Kumar Amat said the court in its November 23 judgment had stated that it was “not against the project in principle”. The court, he added, had categorically said that if Sterlite Industries India Limited, state government and Orissa Mining Corporation jointly agreed to comply with the court’s rehabilitation package, then it would consider granting clearance.
Sterlite Industries India Limited had filed an application before the Supreme Court (on December 14) agreeing to the rehabilitation package, Amat said, and added that the case was still sub-judice. “Hence, the question of running the refinery in violation of the Supreme Court order does not arise,” he said.

Rahul ruckus

The proceedings were stalled for several hours today due to chaos over “objectionable and indecent” remarks made against AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi. Congress members stormed into the Well and caused an uproar, demanding an apology from the ruling party. The Speaker was forced to adjourn the House over an hour.Finally, normal situation was restored in the House after Speaker Maheswar Mohanty expressed regret and expunged the remarks.
As soon as the Assembly began, Leader of the Opposition J.B. Patnaik took up the issue.
Condemning the act as “unfortunate”, the leader urged the Speaker to expunge the remarks and demanded an apology. Speaker, Mohanty assured to examine the proceedings and delete the objectionable words, if any. But he did not direct the ruling party members to apologise.